When I think of Vivienne Westwood’s collections, it’s more about the artistic nature of her creations and the subtle performance each piece of clothing puts on as it is swept down the runway on some lanky model than anything else. In a Ready-to-Wear collection however everyone wants practicality, and that is why Westwood’s designs can be shocking to the untrained eye, but I however see loads of practicality in Vivienne Westwood’s tribal inspire Autumn/Winter 2008 line.
Exhibit A: Very few people may be able to pull off the overly long braids, over-sized safari helmet combo without looking in the mirror and laughing at themselves, but look past the obvious frivolity and see the extra long skinnies and gorgeous cream jacket with just enough avant-garde added to the sleeves. It’s actually quite functional, and very few people would complain if they owned such beautiful pieces.
Exhibit B: All I have to say is, Bag. Sweater. Tights. Vargas Girl knickers. HELLO!
Exhibit C: This look is probably the most simple look of the entire collection. It is casual, but it’s exaggerated size makes it fresh instead of matronly. A little whimsy is thrown in with the sling shot necklace, which can actually be useful if you happen to be channeling Dennis the Menace for the day, or if you are going small (very small) game hunting. It actually might be my favorite part of the outfit.
Though the collection as a whole is a story, I think part of Vivienne’s appeal is that every look she sends down the runway has it’s own mini story to tell. Peep the entire collection on style.com and tell us what the collection says to you (or just spill about your favorite/least favorite look).
A couple of weeks ago, I mention Target was having a holographic fashion show. There would be no models and no clothes, just holograms. The only downfall is it was in Grand Central Terminal in NYC and most people wouldn’t be able to see it in person. Not even me; I was too busy to go out of the way, darn! Thank goodness for video sharing sites because now you can see the show for yourself.
While watching make sure to keep an eye out for the “guy” who chops down the tree with his ax (you’ll get it, just watch), it makes me giggle a bit. Also don’t miss the super-cute white, Erin Fetherston dress I’ve been craving since I first saw the collection. (The sound cuts out toward the end or something, but you can still see the clothes)
My Prom kind of sucked, both times. Yup, I went to Prom twice, and I had a miserable time twice. Ask me one day, and maybe I’ll tell you the details, but for now, I’ve decided my Prom wouldn’t have been so wretched if Betsey Johnson was involved.
This season Betsey’s entire collection was about Prom, and what a prom it would have been if everyone was dressed in BJ. She adorned the models in dresses inspired by every decade. Girls trotted down the runway in everything from fifties dresses with giant crinolines to a red, white, and blue dress commemorating 9/11 (she showed on Sept. 11th).
We couldn’t help but to ooh and ahh at each dress, even if we wouldn’t have worn them to prom; they were all just so beautiful. We were also really stoked BJ loves fakey flowers in the hair just as much as we do. More than one model came down the runway with over-sized floral arrangements on top of their heads and we jumped for joy.
All of those girls who still have a chance to go to Prom, this collection is a great place to start looking for inspiration, or you could technically wait until spring and just buy these Betsey dresses. Either way, you’ll be the bell of the ball!
Photos courtesy of NY Mag.
“Wait, these dresses aren’t supposed to be first.” Those were the first thoughts that came to mind when I started scrolling through the pictures of the Marc Jacobs Spring 2008 collection. So, to make sure I wasn’t going crazy, I read the runway review on Style.com. Thankfully, their words were reassuring, “…this extraordinary show was unspooling backward, starting with look 56 and running down to one.”
After getting over the shock that the show was backward, I was able to actually concentrate on the collection. When looking through the pictures you quickly realize the sheerness of everything quite literally. Most of the clothes in the collection were sheer, had some sheer additive, or gave the illusion of being sheer. Like other collections this season, this gives us a very sexy, boudoir feeling. Some clothes were sexy because they showed peeks of undergarments (some just showed all of the undergarments) and some were sexy because they were in the perfect state of dishevelment. It wasn’t the in-your-face sort of sexy, but sexy in a way only MJ could create.
Though I absolutely loved the clothes in the collection, it was the accessories that really made me swoon. He had knitted leather clutches sewn onto sheer totes, shoes whose heels came from the ball of the foot, and sunglasses that weren’t really sunglasses (think the girlie version of the sunglasses in Kayne West’s “Stronger” video). I was almost drooling on my keyboard by the time the collection finished.
Yet again, Marc Jacobs, fashion’s golden child, has manage to knock the entire fashion industry on its ass and we loved it!
Photos courtesy of NY Mag and Style.com.
“Some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon them.” This quote from Twelfth Night is the first thing that came to mind when looking at Ralph Lauren’s Spring 2008 collection.
This year Ralph Lauren was celebrating 40 years in the biz, so he decided to celebrate with a lavish runway show and a black-tie party after in the Central Park Conservatory on Saturday night. Tons of big names came to help Lauren party including Robert De Niro, SJP, Carolina Herrera, DVF, Donna Karen, and even Mayor Bloomberg.
The clothes that came down the runway evoked a very English socialite feel. Ralph Lauren says he “drew upon everything [he] ever loved, and that was it.” Oddly enough everything he “ever loved” made us swoon like the first time we put on a pair of pumps.
The 72 piece collection started with all black and white pieces, ruffled hems and top hats were in abundance. Then, after a slow addition of color, the frocks turned to delightfully girlie floral printed dresses. The lovely floral gowns morphed into vibrant jockey wear and bold statement-making dress which vanished and were replaced by dazzling dresses that scream black-tie affair. As the show finished and Ralph Lauren came down the runway to applause, the black-tie dinner started, how perfect!
If Ralph Lauren wasn’t born great, he has definitely achieved greatness within these last 40 years. Here’s to another 40 years!
Photos courtesy of Style.com.
